Fighting to Exist
by Romez
Summary: Ichigo's peaceful days will soon come to an end. Humanity is falling to a plague unlike anything it has ever seen. Together with his friends, Ichigo will have to fight for humanity's right to exist.
1. The Deadening

He woke up with a start at the piercing scream that filled the air. His eyes adjusted from the state of dream he had been in and registered the uniform that he had come to know as his school's. He blinked before his eyes scanned the room. Everyone was quietly taking notes as the teacher droned on in the background. Ichigo sighed, resting his head momentarily on his desk. His heart was still beating rapidly, testament to how frightening the dream had been.

Yet, he couldn't just see it as a dream. It had been too loud, too real to be a dream. But from his surreptitious glance around the class room, no one else seemed to have heard it. It was as if the scream had been for him and only for him to hear. It must've been the heat though. It was hot outside and the Cicada's were buzzing loudly...

Ichigo's eyes widened a little as he glanced outside the window. The Cicada's always buzzed their loudest around noon. Yet, it was eerily quiet. Not even a flutter of a wing could be heard. He couldn't focus with the teacher's voice still lecturing about who knows what, but he could've sword he'd heard some arguing outside. His gaze didn't catch anything important. It seemed to merely have been two students arguing about something trivial, he didn't pay it any heed. He grumbled, waking up all the way and partially listening to the teacher. But as he sat at his desk, an unsettling feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. A foreboding thought crossed his mind; _Something terrible was going to happen_.

'_But what could possibly go wrong today'?_ Ichigo wondered as he jotted down a couple of notes. His gaze was brought outside once more, the strange scream echoing in his mind and striking an eerie chord within him. He could feel the hair at the back of his neck stand as he clenched his fists, fighting to get rid of that strange and unwelcome thought.

"This is stupid." He muttered to himself. Mercifully, the class had ended. He got up with a terse, jerky movement, and swiped all his materials into his pack, not really caring where they landed. He would sort it out later anyways. He walked out the door and immediately headed towards one of the vending machines outside and at the front of the school. He inserted the quarters and heard the machine register them. He watched passively as the claw-like device grabbed the soda and dragged it over to where it would be dispensed. It was this kind of mundane ordeal that would soon be but a memory to most of the human race.

The drink finally came out of an opening just to the lower right, exposing itself to his hand. He grabbed it and popped the lid with practiced ease. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. He looked at the soda, the damn thought making itself known again. He looked off to the side and saw the school gate. It was curious though, normally there would be no one at this time. Yet, there was a teacher arguing with someone outside. It seemed to be escalating, because the gym teacher, a somewhat fit man, was called up a few minutes later to be the 'muscle man' so to speak.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing here trespassing?" Obviously, he didn't have the smoothest linguistic skills, but his big size and rough demeanor should've been enough to scare anyone away.

But not this time.

Ichigo could see whoever it was on the other reaching through the gates. Whoever the creep was, really wanted to get inside. Ichigo took a sip and watched the scene unfold. The strange man put an arm through the bars of the closed gate in an attempt to grab the coach, Ichigo supposed. Then Ichigo's blood ran cold when the man managed to get a couple of fingers hooked on the coach's loose uniform and pull only to bite his neck. It must've nicked the aorta because blood squirted in a few quick spurts timed by the heartbeat.

"Call the police and an ambulance, he needs help!" A woman yelled, someone Ichigo was unfamiliar with. He didn't pay any attention to the school staff, but that didn't matter for the moment. An aide quickly ran off to the nearest phone, not having a cell phone herself.

The coach stirred for a moment and the woman was relieved. "Thank goodness you're alive coa—" The relief was short-lived, as was her life as the man reached out immediately and pulled her, biting her in the neck as well.

Ichigo stared, mouth dry as he saw what he had believed to be a fatal wounds barely register to the people now getting up. They didn't even grab the injury or make an attempt to stop it. The only thing they did was walk towards him once they saw him. What Ichigo saw chilled him. Those eyes, there was no light in them. There was no sign of life. All that was left was this bottomless desire for... for... for...

Ichigo gulped as he grabbed for his neck. Could it be? It might've been the scene he had just seen or his adrenaline making him go crazy, but he only cared about one thing as he ran down the halls of his school. He fled as fast as he could to his classroom, his mind racing frantically without actually forming any thoughts. He only had one singular purpose at the moment and when he barged back into his classroom, he made it known.

"What's the matter Kurosaki-san? Not enough opponents outside and now you're looking for some inside the class?" The teacher, one he didn't particularly like, sniped at him. He paid no heed as he forced his friends from their seats, starting with a sweet, auburn-haired girl.

"W-What are you doing Kurosaki-kun?" Orihime asked. She was bit taken back, blushing a little when a few of the students let out wolf whistles.

"Could this be a confession?" On girl remarked as Orhihime as she passed her by. Her heart hammered in her chest, oblivious for the moment even as Ichigo called Keigo and Mizuiro out with them as well.

"Something the matter? You don't look so good." Mizuiro asked, his calm and placid state completely opposite of Ichigo's own.

"There..." Ichigo fought to get his words out of his mouth, "There's been a murder outside."

Time slowed down for the group as they processed what the panic stricken teen said. "Are you sure about that?"

Mizuiro looked at Ichigo, but knew right away that this was true. Ichigo never could keep a straight face when telling a joke, but now his expression was grave and serious.

No joke.

"I see. We should warn..." The rest of his words stayed on his tongue as the redheaded lesbian, Chizuru Honsho, came out from the door, fuming as to why her Orihime had been taken away.

"Hey wait, don't you _dare_ say anything to Orihime that will make me lose my chance with her!" She demanded, specifically targeting Ichigo with those words. "She is mine and just because you finally realized her feelings, doesn't mean you can act on them! I've worked harder than you, you know!"

Orihime's already maelstrom of a mind swirled as she realized the girl had just revealed her feelings to the boy she loved. Despite the gravity of the situation, she managed to feel a flush fill her cheeks as she turned to Ichigo.

Her spirit dropped as she noticed his brows knitted together and his expression long and dark. "We don't have time for this! We need to get going."

"Ha? Trying to sneak off with Orihime huh? Well, I won't let you! In fact, I'm coming with you wherever you go!" She couldn't possible let some _man_ be the first to take anything precious from Orihime. After all, a woman's touch was much gentler.

"Knock it off Chizuru-san." Mizuiro said. He picked up his phone and dialed the emergency hot-line. His stoic face revealed a grim look this time as a message played, stating to call back again.

That only happened when there were too many phone calls coming at once.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked, his tone rough. His body was already tense, eager to flee or if need be, fight. He knew his friend wasn't one for much emotions, but to see his expression other than its usual aloof self... something must've happened.

"I just dialed the 110 and nobody picked up." It didn't take long for Ichigo to figure out what that meant.

Chizuru had just been about to ask what the hell was going on when a voice boomed out from the school speakers. _"Attention All Students and Teachers! Attention All Students and Teachers! At the Present Time, There is A Violent Struggle Occurring on the Premises! Students, Stay with Your Teachers and Follow their Instructions!"_

"What the...?" Chizuru heard the message as it repeated itself once more. What the hell was going on?

"Looks like everybody knows now. We better get some weapons in case this escalates before anyone else thinks the same thing." Mizuiro stated in a tone that was calmer than he was actually feeling. Had anyone paid attention to how he grasped his phone, they would've noticed his knuckles a pale white from the amount of force he was using.

"_W-What are you...? Get away from me! No, plea—auugh! I'm going to die! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"_ A piercing cry fed through the speakers followed by a shrill noise of feedback before all that was heard was silent static.

Silence. The word hardly described a place such as a high school facility where students were always talking, doing something active, and even annoying their teachers to a certain extent. Then all at once chaos ensued as the floors of the school shook from chairs sliding as students got up from their seats. Loud, thunderous footsteps came next as said students fled from their class, ignoring what their teachers were telling them to do. It was a scene of panic, one that Chizuru, Ichigo, Mizuiro, and Keigo nearly fell into. They swarmed and dodged as they went against the current, trying to find the closest thing to a weapon they could. Ichigo and Mizuiro were the leaders for the most part as the rest of the company followed. Orihime huddled unconsciously close to Ichigo, his back like a wall and making her feel secure. Chizuru made an annoyed click with her tongue, but couldn't do anything but focus on where she was going because at any moment she could be taken by the tide of people streaming out.

"This should do the trick." Ichigo hefted the bat in his hand, feeling the reassurance of its weight. Keigo honestly wasn't sure what to do, having ended up with a mop as Mizuiro picked up a crowbar. He unscrewed the mop end, revealing the metal end of the pole and decided to stick with it for the moment. He was scared, completely and utterly, but at the same time having a weapon and actually _using_ it in a scene of real combat... well.

That had been his dream ever since he went to a shooting range for vacation one time. No one knew that he was actually a military Otaku and knew almost all the weapons there were. He shifted the pole, feeling its weight and liking it though he much preferred a gun.

There hadn't been much left after they took those items from the locker. Someone seemed to have gotten the same idea as they did and emptied out the rest. Orihime was left with a screwdriver that Chizuru had handed to her, even though the auburn-haired girl didn't want to think about using anything to harm anyone. In the end though, Orihime kept it because Chizuru assured the girl she could take care of herself.

The group's rising mood was shattered when voluminous screams rang down the hall. They looked outside and could only feel cold fear at the slaughter that was happening outside. Orihime jumped back and let out a terrified squeal as students pushed each other down, bones being crushed by the sheer amount of footsteps covering the fallen. There was no togetherness; it was everyone for themselves. And when the group saw one of the students begin biting and tearing off large chunks of flesh, they almost lost their lunches. Everything was turning into hell and it hadn't even been fifteen minutes since Ichigo went up to warn his friends. Limbs were being pulled off and eaten like some morbid snack. Blood gushed everywhere as students went frantic and started attacking one another, even if the ones they were attacking weren't one of _them_.

"It isn't safe to go outside." Ichigo thought aloud. He clenched his weapon, his eyes wavering a little as the heat and the intensity of the situation started to get to him. He brought a resolve from deep within his mind, and that was enough to calm him.

For the moment.

"I-Ichigo, what's going on?" The boy turned towards Oirhime, her large and always cheery eyes filled with tears. Fear was evident in her features as her slender body shook with it. Her breathing was rapidly becoming shallower. She _had_ been calm at first, but when she saw the bloodshed and the massacre happening outside, it had been too much too handle. "I d-don't get it! Why a-are people doing this to each other!"

Ichigo's face darkened as his lips formed into a tight frown. He didn't like seeing his friend like this, but there was nothing he could do to explain it. The only thing he _could_ do was to protect her. "I don't know Orihime." He said, his deep voice pulling her from her fright. "But I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"Oi, oi, now is not the time to be a knight in shining armor." Chizuru stated, her reason being more that she didn't want Ichigo to take Orihime away rather than actually caring what was happening outside.

"I agree." Mizuiro said, but was thinking along more practical lines than the jealous lesbian. "We need to get away from the chaos."

"But didn't you see? It's like, swarming down there!" Keigo interrupted, pointing outside to a canvas of blood and gore.

"How about the roof?" Ichigo suggested. The roof was as far away from the chaos without actually having to traverse the insanely dangerous grounds below.

"That makes sense, but we'll need something to barricade ourselves." He stated as they started jogging. They would need some cellophane tape, that stuff was ridiculously strong.

"Right. I think there are some tables already on the roof near the observatory. There was a club earlier up there when we went for lunch remember?" Ichigo looked to Mizuiro, running his idea through him.

The boy nodded. "That sounds great. They probably left the area, thinking it would be safer to get away from the school grounds."

Ichigo let a thin trace of a victorious smile cross his lips. So far, they were fairing alright. Even as he thought about the torn limbs and wailing cries, he felt that there was some hope as long as everyone was alright. He just needed to make contact with everyone else. He was pretty sure that Tatsuki could handle herself, after all she was the first in her Martial Arts class and was actually good enough to host her own class when the assistant couldn't make it one day on account of sickness. Same thing with Chad. Though not one to fight, he was immensely strong and he was pretty sure he could take care of himself.

The group screeched to a halt when someone came down a corridor off to their left. "I-Isn't that Wakisaka-san f-from current events?" Orihime identified the man, doing anything she could to get rid of the nasty image from before. She had calmed down considerably when Ichigo assured her his protection, but her mind was frayed and the backlash from the shock was making her tremble.

"Great, don't tell me he's going to try and stop us." Chizuru said grimly, she was ready to protest the teacher when Mizuiro called out to her.

"Wait! Something is wrong with him!" Indeed, there was blood strewn across his face as if it had been splashed. His teeth were bared to them, a foul smell emanating from it. His eyes, no longer human and were devoid of irises. The skin beneath his eyes sagged, blood pouring from it in a small trickle as he let out this bellowing moan that would quickly be known as the sound of death.

The once-teacher dragged itself towards Ichigo, whom had been leading. Ichigo gripped his bat. "Hey, don't you dare touch my friends." The boy growled, but it fell on deaf ears as the teacher picked up its pace, an eager moan sending dreadful shivers down the groups' collective spines.

As the man approached, Ichigo realized there was no time to be hesitant. He had to act now or possibly let not only himself get killed, but his friends as well. That didn't bode well and with a war cry, he heaved the bat straight across. The bat connected with the man's chin with a loud crack, Ichigo pleased with himself that he had let the man off with a glancing blow. What he saw next couldn't have been humanly possible. The man got up, his jaw obviously broken as jagged edges of bone tore through his skin. It ripped and bled until it fell off the sinews and was now hanging halfway down. Ichigo took a fearful step back, not understanding how the man wasn't unconscious or at least screaming in pain.

Mizuiro though, noted something else. There wasn't much bleeding. In fact, a normal person would've lost at least a pint of blood, but this man was hardly bleeding. That only happened when there was no heart that was pumping blood to the rest of the body, which would mean that said body would've already been in a state of decay.

Ichigo snapped out if it though, the next thing he knew, the teacher was practically breathing down his throat and was more than likely intent on ripping it out as well. By the time he reacted, he could only block, the man's half-jaw clacking against the bat in a failed attempt at a bite without his lower jaw.

"Jeez, and you call yourself a man!" Chizuru leapt from behind the man and despite her small stature and frame, she was able to bring the taller man to a kneeling position by kicking the back of his knees. "See? Piece of cake!" She said with pride and a little blush when Orihime looked at her with awe in her eyes.

The red-head wasn't prepared for what came next. The man's neck turned at an impossible angle. Not only that, but the hold she had the man in should've been impossible to break, even if he _was_ stronger. That was one of the few things she could beat Tatsuki with when the fighter-woman tried to thwart her plans with Orihime. But now was not the time to think of those things, and soon, it would be permanent.

"Watch out!" Orihime cried out, frozen in terror when the teacher stretched its neck and bit Chizuru in the arm. She cried out, a burning sensation racing up her arm followed by an intense pain as it chewed on her nerves and muscles.

"Damn it!" Ichigo heaved his bat in a downward motion, bringing it on the man's head. It was like watching the tradition of cracking watermelons alongside the beach with friends, only with a skull and blood. The man's head caved in upon itself, blood flying every which way as one eye shot out and rolled to a stop near Orihime's foot. The girl, seeing the detached eye staring at her could not stop the sudden faint spell that occurred from the powerful shock of seeing body parts fly from such a close distance.

Keigo caught her and while at one point, he would've been giddy as hell to touch such a pretty woman, could now only stop his lunch from suddenly changing its plans and leaving his stomach. The girl was out cold and Keigo noticed that her body was cold to the touch. He became frightened, but Mizuiro reassured him that Orihime would be fine and offered to help him carry her.

"W-What was that?" Ichigo asked, adrenaline rushing through his system as his eyes darted around, noticing every movement down to the moving shadows caused by the day progressing into evening.

"He's dead." Mizuiro commented. The fiery teen turn towards his friend, his eyes expressing his disbelief.

"How can that be? This isn't a movie." Ichigo replied. The grim truth in front of him told him otherwise. How else would he have kept going like that? It would explain all the blood beforehand as well. He grimaced, his knuckles bone white due to his unbreakable grip on the bat.

"Gee, thanks for asking if I'm alright." Chizuru looked at the group, clutching her bleeding arm. Most of the skin near the bite was gone and the sinewy muscle was available for the world to see. It gushed blood, her vessels having been nicked.

"Here." Mizuiro ripped a piece from his jacket and wrapped it around Chizuru. It would stop the bleeding. For now at least.

"Thanks." She said gratefully, though she hid the fact that the area burned all the way up to her skull. It felt like something else was alive in her, crawling and using her body as a playscape. She grimaced when her heart felt like it'd skipped a few too many beats.

"Something the matter?" Ichigo asked, noticing the look on her face.

She snorted, dismissing his worry, trying to look tough. "Yeah, I just got bit, what do you think?"

Ichigo scowled, but said. "I get it, fine. We should keep moving." He turned to Keigo, who was trying his best to hold Orihime, but just wasn't that strong. Her body was using him as a wall or makeshift coat rack with his arms tucked underneath hers in an awkward holding position.

"Here, let me carry her." He stated, feeling that it was too much for him. Keigo apologized to him as he hefted Orihime on his back, her face nuzzling his neck. He wrapped his arms beneath her knees, being chivalrous and not touching her rear-end. Though he could feel just how much of a woman Orihime was becoming from the two amazingly soft mounds resting on his back. He blushed a little, but the grim reality of the present made him focus on more important things.

"Alright, let's go." He juggled Orihime a little, making sure that she wouldn't suddenly fall backwards and made her arms rest around his neck and her hands on his chest. The group ran, Chizuru dragging behind a little as she clutched her wound. As they walked, they began to notice a pattern. Those that turned crazy needed to be bitten first by those infected. They weren't sure if scratches did the same thing, but they would have to figure it out in case one of them happened to be attacked.

This lead to another major problem, one that Chizuru knew they would have to deal with. They barged through the door of the roof, the setting sun setting the sky on fire with colors of orange mixed with the smoke from a burning city. She clutched her arm, the pain becoming more agonizing as she began to feel like her lungs were filling with some sort of liquid. Mizuiro and Ichigo looked at each other, knowing what was happening. They didn't want to believe it, but it was regardless of what they thought. Ichigo turned away, his face crestfallen as he knew, even in these few minutes, that there was only one way to deal with such a thing.

He pushed the thought to the back of his mind for the moment though. There was a pressing matter that needed to be attended to. They had come through a swarm of 'them' while trying to escape to the roof. Most likely, 'they' followed them as well, so they needed to barricade the stairs that led to the observatory quickly. Orihime was placed gently inside the observatory were it was safer. They had checked, of course, to make sure it was empty before doing so. Quickly they placed tables and chairs and wrapped it together with some strong tape that bonded the objects together. The boys huffed, their adrenaline receding and leaving them tired. They had just made it in time. The door to the roof suddenly opened and out spilled a swarm of students with various states of damage. Broken bone dragged against the floor from bites taken to the calf area. Others were in varying states of dismemberment, but one thing they all had in common was that haunting and restless moan that escaped from their mouths, or holes when they didn't have one.

"That's giving me the heebie jeebies man." Keigo said, his body shaking like a leaf. He hadn't really done much with the pole except swat some of 'them' out of the way when they wandered too close.

The other boys remained silent, looking contemplative at the scene before them. Even though they didn't know they were up here, they were still coming up the stairs. Upon feeling the barricade the boys made up, their moaning became louder as they began banging against it. It held, but something told them that 'they' weren't the kind, whatever they were, to give up. 'They' banged and slammed against the barricade, bodies occasionally rolling down the stairs from a lack of balance. They would get up and do that routine all over again.

"Um, guys? I don't think Chizuru looks alright." Keigo gestured towards the girl, feeling very worried about her current state. Her body wracked with painful tremors as blood spewed from her mouth. It almost seemed she was having seizures, her tremors being so violent.

"N...No kidding?" She managed a pained grimace as she eyed the class clown. "What gave it away?"

Ichigo tensed up. He knew what was going to happen. While he hadn't been particularly close to Chizuru, she had been friends with Tatsuki and Orihime and that had been good enough for him to remember her name and occasionally talk to her. He walked up to her and knelt down, placing an arm on her shoulder.

Suddenly she grabbed him and pulled him close, the other boys immediately raising their weapons. It turned out though to be unnecessary since she was still herself, even if it didn't seem like she was going to hold on much longer. She coughed and struggled through the blood that was spilling out her throat. "She's... all yours."

Despite the terror he could see in her eyes at her approaching death, he saw a strong resolve in those eyes. For the entire time he had known her, he'd thought Chizuru's antics with Orihime had just been that: Antics. He stared into those eyes, which refused to give into eternal sleep until he gave her an answer.

He nodded, serious and with his own resolve shining in his eyes. With that, she let go and collapsed on the ground as a puddle of blood formed where her mouth was. Her body twitched a couple of times, the remains of her nervous system trying to get her to stand up even as her spirit had already left her. It was a haunting image, seeing someone die in front of you. It was even more haunting when that person stood back up with an insatiable hunger that seemed almost demonic in its nature.

Ichigo noted with a numb mind that his friends were up and ready to swing their weapons and ready to help him. Chizuru's body re-animated and reached an arm for Ichigo. He blocked it, grabbing it with a grunt, slight amazement at how strong it seemed to be. With the bat in one hand, he swung and permanently ended the unlife before him. With the sun setting, the blood that splattered almost seemed to paint a picture as it stained the floor, giving it almost a glorious feeling.

Tired and exhausted, he dropped the bat and headed into the observatory. The others followed, feeling safer in there as well. He sat down in one of the chairs, his eyes turning towards Orihime. She was still unconscious, her features still etched with fright even in such a state. No one said anything when Ichigo stared. They remained silent, knowing that Ichigo was prone to brooding.

"Hey. You did all you could." Mizuiro tried to comfort the boy.

"Yeah." Was Ichigo's sullen reply.

Keigo, used to being the comedic relief said in an up-lifting tone, "A-And hey! At least you get to protect a beauty like her! That's something right?"

Ichigo turned to Keigo and stared for a second before letting out a tired chuckle.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Ichigo turned towards the darkening sky. Plumes of smoke rose from many buildings that were burning to the ground. Rain would come soon and put out the fires.

But it wouldn't stop 'them' from spreading. From now on, the group of friends would have to fight for the right for humanity to exist.


	2. Death on Wheels

Ichigo clutched his hands in front of him. His head sunk lower than his shoulders as his mind finally caught up with all that had happened. The murder, the escape to the rooftop, and finally Chizuru's death, followed by her permanent death by his hands. It had all happened in less than thirty minutes and not without consequences. His mind was taxed, haggard even. He wasn't tired, but his eyes felt droopy and felt like they would close shut without his consent. He eyed his friends with a sideways glance. Keigo was fidgety with every sound 'they' made, but he kept quiet as a nervous grin crossed his face from time to time. Mizuiro's eyebrows were furrowed in deep thought as his eyes looked at his cell phone screen. His look of consternation, despite its seriousness, gave Ichigo hope. It meant that they were willing to fight.

But as he turned to Orihime, he wondered if _she_ would. He looked at her intently, his eyes scanning her soft features. The scared look had melted away, leaving only the calm state that was brought on by deep, dreamless sleep. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders gently and color had returned to her plump lips. Ichigo blinked, wondering what the hell was wrong with him as he stared at the girl. He wasn't some freak that stared at unconscious girls. Yet, he couldn't deny her beauty. He sighed violently, figuring it was all the hormones running through his system. Now was not the time to have fantasies, especially since right now it could cost them their lives.

He sat there in silence, well, as relatively silent as you could get with reanimated corpses constantly trying to barge in. That's when he noticed something. They were quiet. At least, in reference to the banging. They didn't seem as fervent, though there were obviously some that were still at it. He looked through the observatory and noticed that some were milling around. Their moans still sent chills down his spine, but to see them wander around aimlessly... it gave him hope.

A soft sound made its way to his ears. He looked up to see Orihime stirring in her sleep. Her lips smacked a little as she opened those transfixing orbs. At first her eyes were staring off to the side until she quickly adjusted herself, apparently remembering why she fainted. She looked about frantically until she saw Ichigo's gaze.

"Are you alright?" Ichigo asked. The girl stumbled over her reply, unsure whether to be embarrassed that he was talking to her so freely or to ask if everyone was alright.

"I-I'm fine Kurosaki-kun." Her eyes dipped down before returning. She tried a tentative smile, but noticed a solemn frown on his face. She saw him look away, and wondered what had happened.

She looked around, this time more carefully. Where was Chizuru? A knot formed in her throat. She found that should didn't have the resolve to ask the question that everyone else knew she wanted to ask. She could feel the salty liquid forming around her eyes. Her head hung as a wave of sadness and guilt overcame her. She clutched her skirt, her nails threatening to rip the fabric. She didn't want to bawl out, but she couldn't help it. Chizuru had been her friend, her important friend. All the memories she had came rushing to her and all the fun times. She began quietly sobbing, each tear a memory of a friend she would never see again.

Then she felt something a warm land on her head. Through the tears and her disheveled mind, she didn't register what it was for a moment. "I will take care of you. I promise." The voice whispered into her ear. She stopped sobbing before it was like a damn broke loose, her body moving her towards Ichigo and crying into his shirt. She let loose all her sorrow to the boy she loved, and right now, she didn't care how he saw her. She cried even harder when Ichigo wrapped his arms wrapped around her, their position a little awkward even if at the moment they didn't care. He held her dearly, like he would his sisters when they were torn or saddened.

Reality had its own plans though. 'They' began with their attack anew, hearing Orihime's crying. The poor girl stopped her tears immediately as a panic seized her heart. Now, it seemed 'they' were trying even harder to get to them. Ichigo cursed his situation as he took Orihime and looked her in the face. "Orihime. We have to get going now. Do you think you can run?"

The girl stared, mucus and tears mingling as she tried wiping it away. The sense of urgency in his tone seemed to shake that hold fear had on her.

"No offense Inoue-san, but you need to make up your mind. That barrier doesn't look like it's going to hold." Mizuiro stated when he returned. The barrier was just around the corner. Mizuiro had noticed the table was beginning to fall apart.

"Y-Yes! I'm ready." She hastily stood up, Ichigo having to catch her as her legs didn't quite agree with her. Their eyes met once more and a warm feeling filled them both. One of them already knew what it was. The other one was too confused and worried to figure out what it was and pushed it to the back of his mind.

"What do we have that can help?" Ichigo began looking around. He saw a firehouse stuck against the wall. His eyes widened as he remembered the demonstration the firefighters had shown his class when they came. Those things were powerful.

Powerful enough to knock 'them' far away, maybe even permanently kill them.

"I see." Mizuiro's features lightened as he realized what Ichigo's plan was. "Come on, help me Keigo-san." The jittery boy quickly got up with a quick, "Yes!" before they began unwrapping the heavy hose. Once the task was complete, Ichigo hefted the nozzle, desperately calling on his mind to remember what he'd seen. It finally came to him, and not a moment too soon as 'they' broke through the barricade. He braced himself, turned the nozzle on, and nearly fell over. He cursed, but reigned in the wild hose. He aimed it towards 'them' and watched them roll away while some simply ceased to exist. Their bodies, some already weakened by multiple bites and injuries, simply flew apart at the seams leaving them as bodily stumps with only heads remaining.

Orihime, after regaining her legs, left the relative safety of the observatory. She gasped, a deep cold running down her spine as she saw Chizuru's caved in head. She spun away, tears stinging her eyes once more. Keigo flashed her a look of guilt before looking away.

"It... had to be done." He said as he looked at Ichigo's progress. The fiery teen stepped down the stairs slowly, hosing down any of 'them' that tried to get back.

Orihime swallowed. "I... know." She resigned, knowing full well that he had too. Regardless, tears continued to spill as she walked over to the body. Bile rose to her throat, but she forced it down. She didn't know what she was doing as she placed her hand over Chizuru's heart, but in a strange way, it calmed her.

"I'm sorry." She apologized to the corpse. From an objective view, it wasn't a particularly normal thing to do. These weren't normal circumstances; however, as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the screwdriver Chizuru had given her. A nagging feeling entered her mind, telling her that maybe this wouldn't have happened if she'd just let Chizuru have the weapon. Maybe it might've made a difference and her friend would've still been here, fighting alongside with them. She clutched the tool, now weapon, in both her hands in front of her chest. It was a rather dangerous thing to do considering the edge was so near her throat, but for the moment it was the only object that connected her with her now dead friend. She let out a hiccup as she realized that tears were rolling down her cheeks again.

"Hey." Orihime turned with tear-stained eyes towards the voice that spoke to her. Keigo, in a rare instance of seriousness looked at her empathetically. "It's time to go."

The girl wiped away her tears, her chest heaving as it the tears stopped. She eventually composed herself and was able to get up.

The group with Ichigo wasn't the only one with problems, though. "Hurry up Matsumoto-sensei!" Tatsuki urged.

"Really? You expect me to run in heels? I'm not a tomboy you know." Matsumoto, the voluptuous nurse of the school that made more boys feel sick with love than any other teacher, said.

Tatsuki couldn't help but feel the comment had been directed at her. "Just hurry up! If you don't, you'll end up getting eaten!"

"Alright, alright!" Matsumoto pouted, her eyes twinkling deviously despite the carnage that surrounded her. She reached towards the bottom of her long skirt, ripping it quite easily. A smooth, glossy thigh peeked through the opening that would've made men's hearts run wild. She grinned at the young martial arts girl when the tomboy shook her head.

"You didn't have to be dramatic about it. No one's watching." Tatsuki said in a deadpan.

Matsumoto shook a finger at her. "You can never be too sure!"

Tatsuki rolled her eyes before one of 'them' walked in front of her. Lightning quick, she let out a flurry of punches that sent it skyrocketing backwards. At first she had been dismayed that her combat skills were relatively useless against someone that was already dead. Then she realized her conditioning and strength was not entirely for naught. She could push back any one of 'them' with ease, whether they towered over her or not. 'They' weren't exactly lightning quick and that made it all the more easier. It wasn't like she needed to defeat each and everyone one of them. She just needed to push them just enough out of the way so they could get through. Quick kicks to the head seemed to do the trick quite nicely.

"You know, if you keep flashing your panties like that, what will other guys think?" Matsumoto commented after Tatsuki roundhouse kicked one of 'them' off their path and into a wall.

"Grr, just where are you looking at?" The girl fumed at the older woman, who giggled delightedly at her.

Tatsuki clicked her tongue in annoyance as another one walked in front of her. This time she leaped into the air, Matsumoto's words momentarily filling her mind as she pulled her skirt downward.

"I guess you are a little bit lady-like." Matsumoto teased, earning the girl's ire.

Tatsuki blew out an exasperated breath before they continued. She only wondered if Ichigo and the others were fairing alright. He knew Ichigo would be with them, and while he was no Martial Artists, he was a hell of a fighter. As she blasted through another walking corpse, she wondered why they hadn't hung around recently. Something had been taking his time, and he didn't want anyone to know about it. But now was not the time to think of such things as she narrowly missed being bitten by one of the bodies that lumbered out from a corner and spotted them. She juked to the left and threw a left cross that sent it out a window, surprisingly.

"I take back my lady-like comment." Matsumoto quipped up again. "That kind of strength is definitely gonna scare the guys away." She nodded.

Tatsuki didn't pay any heed to it when she heard a scream. She followed it to the source. Two girls were about to be made lunch as 'they' closed in. At this distance though, she wasn't going to make it. Not all was lost though as Ichigo rounded the corner just then, followed by everyone else. Ichigo immediately grabbed the first one by the collar and pulled him away while kicking the other one square in the jaw. It rolled to the side, but got up with its unshakeable determination to feast on human flesh. Thankfully, Ichigo had taken care of the first one with a sure-kill hit to the head. It flopped away, leaving a trail of blood where it had been bitten on its leg. Ichigo turned to the other one, anger and determination on his face. He yelled out as the second one turned out to be a bit faster, maybe because it looked like when it was alive it belonged to the track team. Whatever the case, Ichigo hadn't expected such a quick lunge. He ducked underneath as it went for a grab and Ichigo let its momentum carry it over his shoulder. Its back hit roughly against the wall, enough to have made a normal person go unconscious. But 'they' didn't have a conscious. 'They' weren't even alive at all.

"Now!" Ichigo said as he pulled away. Mizuiro, the quicker of the two, lunged with his crowbar and caved its face in. Bone jutted out as gray matter and blood mixed into a sick river that flowed from its broken face.

"Heh, guess I'm just too slow huh?" Keigo felt embarrassed that he froze instead of helping.

"That's alright." Mizuiro replied as he shook the excess blood from the crowbar. "You're the comedic relief in this story."

Keigo's eyes widened thankfully as he nodded. "Ha, guess I am. How about that?"

Ichigo looked at the two, feeling glad that they were coping with all of this. His eyes flicked over towards Orihime, who was smiling once again, but her eyes looked like they hadn't slept in a week. She was tired, the emotional stress more than just getting to her. He couldn't place how he knew, but he felt like she was barely standing on her feet as it were.

"Ichigo!" The one-who-protects turned around and saw a long-time friend racing over to him along with a rather sensuous woman behind her.

"You made it out alive!" She smiled at him, relief filling her chest as Mizuiro dealt with the terrified girls Ichigo had just saved.

"You didn't think I'd go down easily did you?" He replied.

Tatsuki put a hand to her hip. "Well, you did cry in Karate class when I kicked your ass."

Ichigo looked at the girl and shook his head. "That was a long time ago." He sighed.

Tatsuki raised an eyebrow. His spirit seemed a bit deflated despite his ability to handle 'them' quite easily. "What happened Ichigo?" She asked, knowing right away that something was eating at him. It didn't help that 'they' were trying to literally eat them as well.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Tatsuki was going to have none of it. She was going to force it out of him even if she had torture him. She would've done it too if Matsumoto hadn't interrupted.

"Oh? Who's this nice fellow? You're boyfriend Tatsuki-chan?" She eyed Ichigo, who looked at the older woman with slight confusion. Matsumoto gave Tatsuki a thumbs up and said, "I like your choice in men!"

Aggravated, Tatsuki hissed back, "It's not like that!" She blew out an exasperated sigh, wondering why the woman's mind was always in the gutter.

Ichigo looked at Tatsuki, not understanding what was going on. "Isn't she the nurse? What's she doing here?"

Tatsuki took a moment to regain herself as she explained why she was being followed by the crazy teacher. "She said that the micro busses were outside and that she had the key to one of them." Of course, she failed to mention to Ichgo the entire story behind how Matsumoto acquired such keys, but she would leave that for another, less insane time.

Ichigo accepted the explanation without question. In fact, that was a major relief. If they could get to one of them, then they could escape and possibly go somewhere safer. If it were that simple. Regardless, the group would learn true hardship once they made it somewhere 'safe.'

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Ichigo's eyes lit up with that same fire Tatsuki was used to. She shook her head, almost wanting to smile. When he got down on the dumps, he really got down. But once he had even the slightest hope, he would almost always kick into overdrive.

Matsumoto elbowed her in the side. "Really, that's a good man there." She winked at the girl. Tatsuki shook her head, but thought to herself that really, Ichigo was a good person. Of course, she wasn't interested in him in _that _way, but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate him.

Not that this childish woman would listen.

The group ran down the corridors, the girls they had rescued in tow. However, in their excessive gratefulness for being saved they failed to realize that they were being too loud. As a result, they had to permanently deal with some of 'them' that had been within earshot.

"There's so many." Orihime's voice trembled. All at once they were surrounded, not being able to comprehend how since they'd been walking through a hallway where the only directions were forwards and backwards. Then again, the hallways _did_ have doors, but now was not the time to think.

One of the girls they had rescued suddenly screamed, having distanced herself from the group, she was far behind them. She peddled backwards in an effort to escape the deathly hands, but in her fright she couldn't keep focused on her walking and tripped. She fell, her back hitting painfully against the ground. Two of the walking corpses trodded and began to reach for her until Keigo used his weapon for the first time to puncture it through the forehead. He kept pushing, not having penetrated deep enough since it still kept moving. The thing was horrendously strong, and was actually pushing him backwards. Yet, this ended up being a blessing in disguise because as he was pushed backwards, the sharp metallic end sunk deeper into the bone until it broke past it, killing it.

There was still the issue with the other one, but Tatsuki took care of it for the meantime, knocking it backwards with a powerful kick to the chest.

"T-Thanks..." Keigo trembled as did his pole. He had never killed anyone in his life before. While it was true he hadn't actually killed anyone, the effect was still the same. His adrenaline was spiked and his body was filled with the energy it brought. Also due to his anxiety, he shook like a leaf.

Tatsuki contemplated the boy, who looked like he was about to cry. "Hey, don't sweat it. We're all in this together." She offered a subdued smile due to the seriousness of the situation, but it brought relief to Keigo.

"Yeah. One down and a billion to go huh?" He grinned.

"No offense, but we could use some help over here." The two turned around to see Ichigo and Mizuiro fighting off a group of at least 12 of 'them.'

"Shit!" Tatsuki hissed as she darted off with the speed of a racetrack runner. She crossed the distance in but a breath with a shoulder-check to the leading creature. The resulting blow knocked it back and bowled over the ones in the back like bowling pins, giving them ample time to deal with the ones still standing.

"Much better." Ichigo stated, his features locked into a focused battle scowl. There was only one thing he needed to do at the moment, only one thing he cared about: Defeating 'them.'

He made a sweeping motion with his leg, knocking over the first two in front him. He rained down hit after hit, caving their skulls in. Blood gushed out, staining his bat and his pants as he turned to face another two that were approaching him. One of them was near enough to reach out for him and grab his shirt, but he would have none of that. With a growl, he grabbed its hand and pushed away with all his might. Thankfully he had been the stronger of the two and as a result, the hand was successfully pushed away but not without taking a chunk of his shirt. He hefted the bat overhead and swung it down with a reckoning force. Its body crumpled to the floor, along with its brethren. The duo of Tatsuki and Ichigo was seemingly an unbeatable pair, coupled with friends that were willing to help. It seemed like everything was going to be alright.

"Help!" Ichigo turned around, the action proving costly as in a second, he was swarmed. His face took on a look of shock and fear as foul breath stung his eyes. Mutilated faces and empty eyes stared at him with singular intent. In his fear, he found the strength to push back. He grunted, his muscles protesting what Ichigo demanded of him. But he needed to live, he needed to be there for his friends!

With a fear-induced yell, he pushed with his legs and threw 'them' away. His lungs ached and his body burned, but as he turned around towards the source of the scream, it was too late. One of the girls they had rescued had been pulled away by her hair, and now she was the unlucky feast of those hunger-driven creatures. Keigo, whom had felt good about protecting one of them earlier, was utterly torn at wanting to rescue the girl that was being eaten or staying to protect the one that too was about to get swarmed.

"Damn it, you guys! We're too far apart! Stay closer to one another!" Tatsuki yelled out. She was getting tired, a handicap that 'they' didn't seem to have. Not only that, but while her attacks were faster, and stronger, they weren't killing blows. She did not have the power to penetrate a skull with her fist or feet. She was merely swatting 'them' away, which was inevitably proving futile since they would get back up.

Mizuiro was doing his best to help out, but he didn't have the benefit of training like Tatsuki did, or the street body that Ichigo honed. He was already worn out. He could only swing every once in a while, Keigo being the only one with enough strength between the two because he hadn't done much other than run. Keigo finally noticed this as well. His feelings of inferiority started bubbling to the surface, making him go into a mania that ended up helping the entire group.

Keigo lashed out, the staff giving him the reach no one else could afford. He knew where to hit now, and with the metal pointed end of the broom stick, he did just that. Whether it was luck or skill, he penetrated one in the eye and he could feel the stick rattle in the brain, the sloshing sound reverberating through his stick. He fought back the urge to puke as he pulled out, but he lunged again for the next opponent. He wasn't so lucky this time as his attack landed on the forehead. At least this time, he knew what to do. He let the creature push him back, let the pointed end sink in. Then, bracing his legs, he too gave one strong push that permanently ended its unlife.

Orihime, throughout all of this, was looking on in fear. The smell of blood, the sound of flesh being sliced and bones been torn, it was too much for her. And after what she'd seen happen to Chizuru... she didn't want it to happen to her. She stayed close to Ichigo, propped against a window. The group seemingly formed a protective barrier around her, and she didn't want to leave it. She bit her lip in an attempt not to cry as she pulled out the screw driver, reminiscing on it. She had a weapon, and yet she was too afraid to use it. She was practically useless and despite it, her friends were still willing to protect and risk their lives for her. She clutched it, tears stinging her eyes as she simply willed the horrifying sounds of death to go away, but to no avail.

Through her bleary eyes, she saw something that froze her heart. Terror-stricken, she realized that Tatsuki and Ichigo were facing opposite directions. This led to one of 'them' sneaking by, gunning for Ichigo's neck. Beset by the decisions she needed to make, she chose to act. Time seemed to go by slowly for her as Ichigo swung, completely unaware of his impending doom. Only Orihime saw it as she closed the distance. The screwdriver was clutched tightly in her hand, making sure the pointed end was facing away from her. It opened its mouth, an unsightly scene of malignant blood and saliva. She thrusted with her hand, moments before the mouth reached Ichigo's shoulder, and pierced it through the temple. The creature let out a low, guttural sound as if realizing its death. Then it fell, quietly amidst the sounds of battle.

Orihime let it fall, along with the screwdriver in its head. All at once, the battle died, the group being victorious.

Everyone paused, desperate to catch their breaths and regain their composure. They all looked around, fidgety eyes searching for even the most remote sign of danger. Despite the loss they had just taken, everyone gave a brief, tired, humorless chuckle.

"Well, that was a workout." Matsumoto said, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Tatsuki narrowed her eyes at the buxom woman. "You didn't do anything." She gritted her teeth.

The older woman said nothing, knowing the signs of exhaustion. "Oh yeah, I guess I didn't huh? But hey, there's faculty office just further down. We can take a break there." She smiled, taking the role of being the understanding and always calm nurse.

A break sounded like heaven right about now. Everyone was panting, sweat dripping down their foreheads and arms. Blood was caked onto their pants, and sometimes their arms as well. Orihime let out a small cry when she realized her hair had been bloodied.

"Hey, hey, Orihime! Calm down!" Tatsuki immediately went over to her friend. She hugged her, trying to soothe the terror-stricken girl. Ichigo looked on, his own heart echoing the sorrow Orihime's crying brought on, but without the benefit of being able to release it. He needed to be stronger, tougher, better. He grit his teeth, almost painfully.

Then he felt a smooth arm snake around his shoulder. "Hey, if you're that jealous, you could always try me."

Ichigo blinked, looking on at the feisty nurse. She grinned seductively, a slow, rubbing motion making its way further and further down his back. He was too tired to react though, too angry that he had lost someone else. The girl hadn't been his friend, but that didn't mean he hadn't failed.

"Sorry, I'm not into older women." He said testily. He broke from the hold and turned away. Matsumoto tilted her head, considering the boy. The stress was beginning to break him, and if that happened the result would be disastrous. Then she saw him notice something beneath him. One of 'them' had a screwdriver in its head. She was curious as to why he would pull it out and look at it almost... in surprise? She saw his gaze go over to the two girls hugging, but she wasn't sure which one he was looking at specifically.

Ichigo walked over to the girls, the screwdriver in his hands. "Orihime." He whispered out, his voice tired. The girl heard it though and looked at him through tear-stained eyes. She sniffed, wiping away her tears so she could actually see him.

"Y-Yes?" She asked. When he posed the screwdriver in front of her, she knew what he was thinking.

"When did you use it?" He asked, feeling terrible that he hadn't realized she'd been in danger.

"Ah." She sniffed again, her body still trembling and weak. "T-There was on of... 'them' going towards you. I... attacked it." Her voice seized in her throat, the fleshy sound of skin being torn echoing in her mind. She closed her eyes, and tried to will the image away.

It worked, but only because she realized someone was grabbing her hand. She opened her eyes and saw the hand belong to Ichigo. Her mouth opened slightly in a gasp, the boy she loved putting the screwdriver back in her hand.

"Thank you." It was all he could say, his brain still set in a battle-like trance. But it was all she needed. She looked at her hand, the warmth of Ichigo's fingers still lingering. She held it close once again before tucking it away. In his gesture, the girl found some strength to continue on. Same with Tatsuki's knowing smile. The darkness of fear was a shadow in her heart, but with two people she loved as her light, she was starting to feel much better.

Once they finally made it to the room, Ichigo sat down and brought his face to his hands. All at once exhaustion overtook him. Inside the room provided a tranquility that he missed, even though it'd been little more than half an hour since humanity's fall began. It was already a rare sort of comfort, one that he appreciated greatly. However, it wasn't all comforting. Now he had time to think. What of his sisters? How were they fairing? How was his mom doing? What if they'd been infected? And as he thought about it deeper and deeper and his features became marred with a horrendous scowl, he wondered if he would have to kill them if they indeed had been infected. The thought swirled around his mind like a vicious cyclone, threatening to consume him in a blanket of insanity.

In a furious movement, he leaned back into the comfortable rolling chair. It squeaked as it bounced on its hinges while he rolled back a little.

"He's certainly happy." Matsumoto said. Her lips were turned in a way that displayed worry and concern for the boy. She knew the type. She knew he had assumed to role of protector, even though the others proved to be quite capable of handling themselves, aside from Orihime. But even the girl proved she could do something if need be.

Matsumoto turned her attention towards the girl. Her features were alight with a false happiness, trying to stay happy because the girl knew she was being a burden to everyone. Yet, Ichigo and Tatsuki did not once view her as such. Still, the auburn-haired girl felt compelled to keep it all inside and would only cry when it was too much for her mind to handle. She was adapting though, a resolve forming in her. She raised an eyebrow since that resolve had only arrived after receiving a caring touch from Ichigo and his little gift.

She too sat down, feeling bad that she hadn't done anything. She pursed her lips, thinking of how she could only stand by idly while these kids protected her. Now that she wasn't thankful, but it was the adults that were supposed to lead the younger generation, to raise them; not the other way around. She'd just stood there as an observer, not really panicking, but also not doing anything.

She shook her head, wanting to clear her thoughts. She turned on the TV, which was still working. This was good, it meant that the power plants had yet to be hit. That or the school was running on the emergency generator in the basement. Either way, she wished she hadn't turned it on when more bad news spilled from the TV. Video feeds were suddenly cut off when corpses in body bags began to stand up and people began biting one another. One broadcaster commented they were having technical difficulties, but everyone in the room knew the answer.

"They're hiding the truth so the entire country doesn't go into a state of panic." Tatsuki mumbled to herself, but everyone ended up hearing.

"So it's not just here." Orihime's expressive eyes sucked in every bit of news she could get. A grim reality formed in her mind. What if there was no where safe? What would they do? She ran a finger through her hair, seemingly caressing it before she brought a few strands in front of her and played with them. She twisted and splayed them, bringing them apart. It didn't help and she ended up leaving her hair alone. She clutched her skirt, staring at the white floor beneath her. Thoughts raced through her mind, an incessant droll of negativistic ideas.

Quiet descended on the room, the ceiling fan being the only thing that was making any noise at the moment. Then, one of the girls the group had saved came up to Ichigo. She was fairly pretty, with short, black cropped hair. She was kind of petite, but polite as she bowed in front of Ichigo.

"Thank you so much for saving me." She looked at her savior, offering a curious smile.

Ichigo looked up at the girl from his sitting position. He merely nodded. "Sure." He closed his eyes as the blood pounded in his head. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there for your friend."

The girl politely shook her head. "I didn't know her. We'd just met after... everything happened."

"I see." He replied, trying to find some strange relief in those words. But he couldn't.

That's when he felt something soft plant itself on his cheek. He opened his eyes in time to see the girl pulling away.

"I... don't know how to thank you." She whispered to him, and only to him. "But... if you happen to think of anything, I'll let you do anything you want."

She turned and walked away, the implied meaning ringing inside Ichigo's mind. Yet, he found himself staring at Orihime, viewing the bright box in front of her that only filled her mind with more terrible news. He frame was droopy, as if with each frame more energy left her. Her shoulders drooped low, weary from everything. Ichigo couldn't even comprehend why he even did that, yet, Matsumoto knew.

Matsumoto's interest in Ichigo grew ten-fold. She didn't hear what the girl had said, but that swaying of the hips that only a woman was capable of when she was interested in a guy told her everything she needed to know. So why was it that Ichigo looked at Orihime?

Her eyes widened when it hit her. So that's how it was? But from the look of things, Ichigo had yet to come to terms with his own feelings. Hell, he probably didn't even know what he was feeling. She crossed her legs, a flash of silk panties revealed to the world. She would get them together. She got the feeling that love would be a precious commodity in this torn up world.

Keigo rubbed the back of his head, this tense atmosphere getting to him. Finally, having enough, he stood up and turned off the TV, saying rather lamely, "So this guy sells some dry ice to another guy. The other guy then asks, 'So if I let this melt in my pool, will I be able to swim without getting wet?' "

The silence was damn near deafening, all eyes turning towards him. Then, one by one, almost like magic, grins started forming on gloomy faces and before long, everyone started laughing.

"W-What kind of lame-ass joke was that!" Tatsuki laughed and began spitting, earning a tittering laugh from Orihime who sat next to her.

Ichigo gave a short, rather controlled laugh, but the corners of his eyes crinkled in true amusement. Even Mizuiro let out a chuckle.

Matsumoto saw an opportunity. "Well, now that we're all in better spirits, what do you say if we hijack a bus and get the hell out of here?" She stood up with a confidence that seemed almost awe-inspiring. The group looked at each other.

"I think, despite what the news was saying, there is some hope out there." Mizuiro also stood up, addressing the group. "And we're going to find it."

"Yeah, even if we have to beat 'them' back to death!" Tatsuki raised a fist to show how serious she was.

Ichigo blew out a sigh, but regained some of his strength with his friends' words. He pulled himself off and said, "Who is ready to go?"

One by one, everyone stood up until everyone was in agreement. Then they left before the confidence and hope that was implanted in their hearts died to that dreaded TV.

So once more, the group found themselves bustling down the corridors. While they hadn't forgotten their troubles and it sure as hell hadn't simply disappeared into the depths of their mind, that joke had relieved the enormous tension that filled them. They were still worried, still scared, but with each encounter they survived, they began to build more and more confidence in each other and in themselves.

This time, the group hugged close to one another. It was a tight formation, guarded from all sides. Ichigo was lead man. Tatsuki hung behind the group, being the one that could dish out the fastest attacks to let them get away. Mizuiro and Keigo were the wingmen, protecting from any flank attacks. The rest of the girls acted as spotters, looking out for any hidden dangers that might lurk in the shadows.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked. Currently the group had made it to the lockers and was taking shelter behind the corners the hallway provided. There were a few, maybe six of 'them' loitering around the lockers. Mizuiro had quietly wetted a tissue he found on the floor using the water fountain. He rolled it up into a ball and squeezed it.

"I've noticed something about them." He replied quietly. With a hefty throw, he launched it at one of 'them.' For a brief moment, everyone's heart seized. What if that caught the attention of it?

The tissue landed without a sound on top of one of 'them.' Yet, the creature didn't even seem to register it, its moan being a dull droll instead of that fear-inspiring one. Even though the group couldn't hear it from this distance, the napkin landing on the floor must've made a sound because the creature seemed to register it and looked at it.

"See? It seems they can't see or feel, but only react to sound." Mizuiro explained to the group. But he rubbed his chin. "I think they might also react to heat, but I don't have anything to test that out."

"I see." Ichigo's mind began forming a plan. Could they possibly sneak out of here undetected?

"Wait, what are you doing Ichigo?" Tatsuki demanded with concern. Ichigo almost seemed ready to go out there.

"I'm going out there, to see if I can make a path." He replied, confirming her fears.

"You don't have to prove anything!" Tatsuki knew that Ichigo would always try to prove something when he was brooding. Maybe it was over that girl they'd lost, or the simple stress of the unlife walking, but she had to talk some sense into him!

"I know. I'm doing this because I want to protect everyone." He said with a rare, gentle smile. Tatsuki looked at the boy, something genuine radiating from him that made her pulse speed up a little. She shook her head, not being able to come up with the words to convince him not to go with this crazy plan.

Ichigo waited until one of 'them' disappeared behind another set of lockers. He spotted many shoes littered on the ground, probably those of students who were in a rush to escape. He picked one up and threw it as far away as he could from their path. He planted himself against the locker as one of 'them' walked by. He clutched his bat tight, ready to break its head open and make a dash for it when it turned to look at him. Yet, it didn't do anything as their eyes met and kept walking towards the shoe. He steadied himself, realizing his body was shaking, and focused his mind.

He treaded cautiously towards the door and opened it, motioning to the group. They followed quietly, everything going smoothly. They took turns holding the door open until at the last moment, Keigo's pointed end banged against the top of the door, echoing across the stretch of land they had to cross. All of those empty eyes and bags of rotting flesh turned towards them as they bellowed out that dreadful moan.

"Shit, RUN!" Ichigo yelled and the group booked it. The group, however, was only as fast as their slowest runner which turned out to be Orihime. Ichigo, by chance, happened to turn around and notice that Orihime was lingering away from the group. He whispered a curse before he pulled back, cutting between the group.

"Ichigo, what are you...?" Tatsuki let the question hang when Ichigo simply hefted Orihime on his back like it was nothing. Even with the added weight, he managed to make it to the front of the group once more.

Thankfully Matsumoto already had the keys ready. She slid open the door, but refrained from starting the engine lest they attract more attention than they already had. Ichigo dropped Orihime at the entrance and stood guard at the entrance of the bus along with Tatsuki. A worried Orihime glanced at Ichigo before turning to go inside the bus. Ichigo was already guarding the door; she didn't want to give him the added burden of having to watch over her as well.

Just then another group exploded from the entrance of the school. From the looks of it, a teacher and five other students were about to join Ichigo's merry group. "C'mon, we have to help them!" Before Tatsuki could rely, Ichigo had already darted off. He knocked back one after another, battle flowing through his veins. Despite the insanity of it, despite the horror, his warrior heart burned with a strange excitement. It was but a wisp right now, but with each one of 'them' he felled it seemed to grow bigger and bigger. Ichigo failed to notice why he wasn't so bothered with fighting 'them' anymore, he simply just did.

In his battle fury he didn't see the gruesome atrocity the teacher committed. One of the students had fallen and instead of helping, the teacher simply smashed his foot into the students face. Finally, after a grueling minute, the remainder made it. Ichigo, being the last one to enter, closed the door and almost immediately Matsumoto started the engine. She forcefully stepped on the gas and watched as she simply crushed or ran over the corpses that dared enter her path.

"I'm going to break through the gate! Hold on to your seats!" Matsumoto floored the pedal, the engine roaring as the bus tore through the gates and entered an entirely different world.


	3. Dead Hope

The group breathed easily. As relatively as one could get after escaping a school infested with the unlife and then entering the world that too was filled with it. At least in the broader sense, there was more room to move, to maneuver, to seek refuge.

And seeking refuge was the main priority.

"So, who is in charge here? Matsumoto-sensei?" The teacher, whom had preferred to be called Shidou-sensei, glided over toward the busty teacher. Matsumoto smiled at the man, but his features reminded her of a snake-in-the grass sort, always scheming.

"Actually." She said sweetly. "We all worked together in this. No one is in charge."

Shidou tsked at her. "We need a leader. In order to survive a leader is absolutely necessary. The reason is obvious. A leader _must_ protect the order!" He spoke to her, but to everyone else. His fancy pinstripe suit and smoothed back hair gave him an air of elegance and authority. Some of the students he'd brought along were actually fawning over him, particularly the girls and some of the more weak-willed guys.

Tatsuki didn't like him. She'd heard that he tried to molest one of the girls in her class. Of course, they never found any evidence and the girl wouldn't talk. It didn't help that she transferred schools either. She was wary of him. She caught glimpses of a darkness far worse than the dead eating the living. The man made her shiver.

"Yeah, and besides, why do we have to be with you guys? Who gave you the right to decide?" Ichigo looked at the boy. He seemed to have all the features of a delinquent who lost his temper easily. While they weren't always all talk, they didn't pose much of a threat.

"Shouldn't we have found a safe place in the dorms in the school? Why the fuck did we have to leave?" He continued his tirade, anger dictating a vein on his forehead to pulse. It throbbed with his anger as he looked around, the faces of those driving and in control pissing him off.

Matsumoto had just been about to turn around when an oncoming car forced her to swerve. She put on the brakes and set the micro-bus skidding sideways, nearly toppling it over. The guy in the other car simply yelled at her. It seemed road-ragers would always exist.

She began to accelerate once more until a body fell right on her bus. It impacted against the windshield, her reflexes making her swerve nearly off the road. The rest of the students looked up to see a helicopter filled with 'them' trying to climb onto the helicopter. They rained like some twisted form of confetti, sometimes ripping apart as they sailed through the air.

"Can't you drive any slower? At this rate we..." He never had a chance to finish the sentence as the nurse turned around and looked at him angrily.

"Will you shut _up?_ It's hard to drive these things! If you think you'll do any better, than you give it a try!" She blew out a harsh breath, feeling she could've handled that better. But the stress of driving this thing was harder than she'd imagine. Sometimes, she couldn't tell if she was making too wide a turn or if she wasn't turning enough.

The boy yelled at backed down, but not without sending a glare towards the woman's way. He looked at Ichigo, who had been standing quiet the entire time. He had been transfixed on the battle he'd had earlier. He didn't know whether it had been the height of the battle, but he'd though, for a brief moment, that someone had talked to him.

In his head.

"What are you looking at?" Ichigo moved away from his thoughts, concentrating his gaze on the terminally angry boy. "I hate your face! Quit starring at me?"

"Huh?" Ichigo scowled. "What are you talking about? Do I even know you?"

Ichigo's reply didn't dissuade the boy. No, it only made him angrier. "You little bitch!" His teeth were grinding at this point and Ichigo felt an attack waiting to happen.

It never came, courtesy to a kick to the side by one irate Tatsuki. The boy fell with a cry of pain. He held his side, gasping for breath that wouldn't come. Spit flew out of his mouth as he spasmed from the shock. The sudden attack caused panic to the new students that had arrived on the bus, some gasping in shock, while the others simply looked on. But there was one that wasn't in shock. More, he was entertained by all of this. The gleaming eyes behind the glasses broadcasted a sense of mistrust for those smart enough to see through the false facade. But to those who weren't strong of heart, those eyes were ones of a savior.

Shidou clapped. His pin-striped suit making him look the part. He wore a snake-in-the-grass kind of smile, one that put Tatsuki on edge. "Well done Ichigo-kun, Arisawa-san. It's wonderful to see such teamwork!"

Then his true intentions came into play. His eyes took on a devious glint as he said, "However, to keep fights like these from breaking out, I think we should try a little idea I had. What we need is a leader. A leader just for us!" Everybody knew what he was getting at, and Ichigo's group didn't like the idea of having such a teacher as their leader.

Mizuiro crossed his arms. "And I'm sure you'll be the one to lead us correct?" Mizuiro stated with a critical stare. The man's grin simply said it understood where he was coming from, but that he was smarter than a simple boy.

"Why yes. After all, I am the _teacher_ and you are the _students_. I am the only one qualified to lead." He wore a smug grin, one that made Tatsuki wish she could knock it off.

The teacher turned to the students that had followed him. He had rescued them, and knew he could count on them. "So how about it guys? If you agree with lil'l ol' me, would you please clap your hands?"

There was a well-mannered clap before it erupted into something almost joyous. To add to the effect, Shidou bowed down which hid the sinister smile on his lips before righting himself up and turning to Ichigo's group. In a grandiose manner, he stretched out his hands as if welcoming the group, saying, "Just as I said. The majority rules that I am to be our leader. From now on, everyone here will follow as I say!" He grinned, sending pale shivers down people's spines.

Matsumoto suddenly got up. She put a hand to her hip. "Well, while you might be a teacher, I'm a nurse. That holds more ranking than you, as a teacher, because I can actually help my students in time of need. Plus, I took classes on leadership and such, which makes me more qualified than you to lead." She chuckled when Shidou's eyes narrowed. "Plus, I have the keys to the bus." She wiggled the keys in front of his eyes, knowing how much this was bruising his ego.

"Yes." Shidou calmed himself down despite the rage welling within him. He adjusted his glasses and said, "That may be so, but I still have majority vote."

Matsumoto lifted up a finger. "You're forgetting something. This is _our_ bus, and you are our guests. Unless you are considering to forcefully take this bus?"

Shidou looked like he was not liking the direction this was going. Thankfully, one of the girls that came with him, one that he'd personally molded, spoke up. "Y-Yes, that may be true. But we still think he should lead us. I'm sorry, but we couldn't betray him!"

The older woman looked at the girl in shock. There was no way she could argue against her. Not that she couldn't, but from the looks of things she had rallied everyone against her and Ichigo's group as Shidou's group nodded, seeing the truth in the girls words. Shidou seemed to have regained his cool and said, "See? This only proves that _I_ am more qualified to lead, regardless of the circumstances."

Meanwhile, Tatsuki was debating leaving. They could hold out until they reached the city, but Ichigo looked like he had other concerns rather than just surviving. Seeing this as an opportunity, that and she didn't like this Shidou character, she said, "Why not just split into two groups? It's obvious we don't get along."

Ichigo's group stared at the karate girl. That did make sense. "I don't see anything wrong with it. We were doing fine on our own." Mizuiro stated. The group began to nod to one another, liking the idea. All except the girl they had rescued. She felt that bigger numbers and a vehicle were the best bet. She was about to state her reasoning to the group when Matsumoto yelled out.

"Brace yourselves!" Matsumoto yelled as she held on to the wheel while ducking. Everyone else barely had a second to register her words, only Ichigo and Tatsuki with quick enough reflexes to react.

"Ah!" Orihime cried out and knocked her head against one of the compartments near the front of the bus. Her head resounded with a metallic thud as she clutched it. Ichigo's adrenaline shot through the roof at seeing that and immediately went over to her.

"Orihime! Are you alright?" He asked, taking hold of her arm and looking at her face with a scrutiny that made the girl blush a little. She almost forgot about the pain, and would've if she hadn't hit her head so hard.

"What hit us?" Ichigo asked once he made sure the girl was alright. He turned to Tatsuki and saw a haunted look on her face.

"It was a bus full of _them_." She murmured quietly. That was what she said. In truth, there had been some people alive on that bus when it scraped by them, but they were being eaten alive. One man's face had been pressed against the window, an image that would be burned into her mind. His face had been shedding tears mixed with the blood that ran down his forehead. His eyes begged for help even as a hand grabbed him and pulled him away. The desperation on his face made the tough girl feel sick and helpless.

"We really need to get moving." Mizuiro commented as he looked at the Tatsuki's face.

"Ah, but you're forgetting I'm the leader. I will decide where we go." Once more, Shidou spoke up. His insidious voice was ever calm and friendly. Ichigo's senses were put on alert by this man. The stress of the situation was already getting to him, what with Orihime being hurt and all. He was about to say something, but then he realized where he was as he caught some writing on a street post. They were just three blocks from where his house was. Everything else was suddenly secondary to him.

The first thing that ran through his mind were his sisters and if they were alright. Mizuiro noticed his sudden shock-eyed look and asked what was wrong.

"We're near my house." He said quietly. The gang stopped to look at him, knowing what he was thinking.

"Well, that settles it." Tatsuki said, doing anything to get rid of that image in her head. "We're going to rescue your family!"

Ichigo looked on at Tatsuki, a strange and thankful look crossing his features that made the tomboy feel fuzzy. Then his face hardened with resolve as he said, "Let's go."

"Ah, you can't go anywhere unless I say so." Shidou interrupted, trying to stop them from going.

Ichigo turned to look at the man, eying him with a dark look. "If you're going to stop someone from rescuing their family, you aren't fit to be a leader." Then they all jumped down before anything could be done. Matsumoto didn't want to leave the safety of the bus, but since she was the nurse, she supposed they would need her in case someone was hurt.

The rescued girl was suddenly stuck. She hadn't leaped off the bus along with Ichigo's group and now she had no choice but to stay here. Shidou eyed the girl with a look that made her feel wrong everywhere before his attention was brought to Matsumoto.

"Come on Matsumoto-sensei, surely you can see reason?" Shidou pleaded, though in truth at this point he didn't really care if he persuaded her or not. It was all for appearances. And she seemed to know that as she shot him a dirty look before leaving the bus. Being a nurse, she couldn't abandon these people by taking the keys, so she left them. She hoped that in doing so, she wasn't doing something she would regret later on.

Ichigo was the one that set the pace. Being a fighter and pretty much extraordinary at any sport he tried combined with his fighting skills, his conditioning allowed him to run farther and for longer than anyone. This combined with the adrenaline surging through him made him nearly glide across the pavement. Some had a hard time catching up, but so strong was his desire to see his family safe that for the moment, he kept going on. Eventually though, he had to slow down when Keigo and Mizuiro were already on their last breath. It didn't help that they had to take down a few of _them_ along the way.

Then a knot formed at the pit of his stomach. He could smell smoke. He looked ahead and saw a fire blossoming in front of him that made his body feel cold with fear. It was near his house, but reality told him the truth as he quickened his pace.

It was his house that was on fire.

"Yuzu! Karin!" He screamed as he sprinted towards the burning building. A burst of flames rolled towards him, as if eager to block his intrusion. Ichigo grunted, the skin on his forearm sizzling as he used it to block his face. He didn't care. Parts of the wall were collapsing, giving way to a decent sized hole he could fit through. He would get burned most likely, but it was better than standing around and doing nothing.

"Ichigo wait!" Tatsuki cried out, but the boy paid no heed. He leaped into the flames, the orange wisps licking at him, trying to burn him. He made it through relatively safely, rolling so as to prevent any flames from catching on his clothes. He swatted away the persistent ones that had managed to get on his pants. The air inside was stifling, suffocating. He could hardly breathe, but now was not the time to worry about himself. Surprisingly, the damage inside was minimal, indicating the fire had started from outside. And he knew what caused it. A car had seemingly run into the side of his house, not quite going all the way inside, but enough to let the fire inside. He had to act fast. He ran upstairs before the flames reached the staircase. His lungs burned as he turned to the right down the hallway.

The door to his parents room was ajar, the opening giving Ichigo an ominous feeling. He swallowed the thick saliva that stayed on his tongue, forcing himself to walk closer. Even with the burning wreckage that kept falling downstairs, all was quiet. At least in his mind. He took step by deliberate step. His hand reached out, hoping that he wouldn't find anything even though at the same time he hoped his sisters were here. The door creaked, the noise raising the hair on his back. He looked to his left and saw his mom leaning against the foot of the bed. His heart leapt for joy in his chest as a relieved smile crossed his features.

But it proved to be for naught. His mother's head whipped up, eyes empty and lifeless. He beautiful face was marred with dried blood and scratches. When his eyes got used to the relative darkness of the room, he could see many corpses laying around. She had killed them all. A sheen of light caught his attention: It was the black and white blade named Zangetsu, his family's heirloom from his mother's side. It was passed down since ages past and he remembered how his mother had pulled him to the side one day and asked him if he would be willing to inherit the sword and its powers. It had shocked him that his mom possessed such a weapon, but it did make sense since she could actually beat Isshin when he was being too much.

He smiled sadly as his mother now bared her teeth, uttering a moan of the dead. She tried getting up, but Ichigo noticed that her legs were missing. His eyes widened as his heart was torn asunder. His mother had caught off her own legs. She didn't have the courage to end her own life, but she also didn't want anyone else to get hurt by her. But Ichigo _was _hurting. Zangetsu dripped with the dark blood of his mother, whom was now making an effort to crawl to him.

"Mom." He choked. No he pleaded for her to stop. He pleaded for her to stop joking around and to get up and come with him. "Mom, it's alright. We can go and be safe together." He kneeled down, his eyes mirroring the disbelief and anguish his heart was feeling.

All he got was a violent hissing as she approached. His heart broke, but he did not move. His spirit had left him, abandoning the shell that was his body. His mind went numb, not registering the voice that came from behind him.

"Get up Ichigo!" He was hauled violently by the collar of his shirt. He choked on it, banging his head against the door as he was pulled away. He struggled, finally finding his footing and standing on his own two feet as Tatsuki closed the door behind them. He brushed the hands that tried to make him turn, but failed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Tatsuki demanded. She saw what had happened, but she wasn't about to let Ichigo die.

"My mom. She's..." He let the words hang idly as Tatsuki heard the fervent banging behind the closed door

"Ichigo." She tried sounding kind despite the stressfulness of the situation. "She's gone." She bit her lip when his eyes seemed to dim even more. His clear sorrow made tears sting her eyes as her heart twisted for her friend. She grabbed him once more by the collar and shook him with all her might. "SHE'S GONE ICHIGO!"

His eyes focused on her, a flash of anger lighting up his eyes. "But we need you. Orihime, Mizuiro, Keigo... we all need you." Her truthful words seemed to have brought some sense to him even though his shoulders drooped, hanging low and tired.

"Let's go Ichigo." Tatsuki grabbed his hand and turned to walk, but his hand slipped from hers. She turned around and saw Ichigo facing the door where the banging seemed to have stopped.

"I have to take care of something first." He walked slowly towards the door, the roaring fire below him still not enough to drown out the sound of his heart breaking. It hurt as he twisted the door knob. It hurt as he opened it and saw his mother searching her once pristine room for bodies to eat. It hurt even more when he picked up Zangetsu and remembered his mother's words.

_Legend said that only the one the sword has chosen could hear its words. Sadly, no one has heard Zangetsu's voice for over four generations. But something tells me that one day, you'll be able to hear him._

He gripped the handle tightly. He briefly felt proud that he was able to hold the sword and how his mother had congratulated him. Zangetsu was large and unwieldy, but for the type of sword it was, it was light. But now, he would have to use the sword his mother had taught him with to end her life, this time permanently. He faced his mother, whom had turned around to settle a hungry graze on him. No, this wasn't his mother. His mother was already gone. No, this thing was just a shell, bastardized by whatever was causing this. Anger and rage filled him. He hated this abomination. He hated _them_. He was going to do anything and everything to stop this somehow.

He was going to kill them all.

With anguish and sorrow in his heart, he cried out as he moved swiftly, moving towards the corpse and bringing Zangetsu down with a broken heart. He sliced his mother's head, the blade sinking down all the way to where her heart would've been. He pulled out the sword, feeling the sensation of bones and cartilage being torn through the hilt. The corpse was no more. Ichigo heaved with sighs as tears streamed freely down his face. He grabbed his head with a viciously shaking hand, disbelieving at what he'd done. He turned to the heavens and screamed, everything blanking out as all that filled him was grief and sadness.

"You did what was right Ichigo." Ichigo's long-time friend came up beside him, offering a consoling hand and a rare, warm look. "Come on. Let's get going." She ushered him out of the room and down the stairs.

Only to find there were no stairs. The bottom of the house was already in flames. The fire seemed to roar as it viciously ran through the frame of the house, leaving nothing untouched. It threatened to consume everything, and it would. It would even consume them if Tatsuki let it have the chance.

Tatsuki wasn't about to die just yet. She looked up to her friend who was still reeling from the blow life had dealt him. She was worried. She sensed that he didn't care if he died right now. Thankfully, she'd been over to his house many times and knew every inch of the place. She moved back up along with Ichigo. She led him to his room. For a moment she paused. She hadn't been to his room in a while, ever since they'd entered high school. His tastes had changed, but other than a few posters here and there, it had remained the same. Her attention was, however, brought to the reality of the situation as flames began racing up to the very room they were in.

She let the boy go and moved to open the window. Once done, she put a foot out and stretched out her hand for him to grab. "C'mon Ichigo, grab my hand!" She looked at him pleadingly, worried that he might not come with her. But _he_ needed to make a decision. It was up to him if he was going to let his sorrow consume him or not. She waited for what seemed an eternity as his stare was focused on nothing but her hand. A few more tears fell from his eyes before he gritted his teeth and clenced his fists, seemingly making up his mind.

He took her hand.

They jumped down, rolling to prevent injury to themselves. A moment later, flames began spilling out of his window as if angry it had let its prey escape. They stared at the makeshift pire as it began turning the house to nothing but ash.

"Goodbye mom." Ichigo whispered to himself. Tatsuki allowed for a moment of silence, praying over the death of Ichigo's mom. Then the window from his mom's room exploded. It sent the two reeling and moving their arms in front of their face. Something flew out. As Ichigo went to see what it was, he found it was Zangetsu's sash. He grabbed it and put it around his shoulder as it looped down to his hip and back up his chest in a circle. He attached Zangetsu to one of the bead-like holds and felt the reassurance of its weight on his back... and the memory of his mom. His eyes filled with tears once more, but he knew that he could be thankful for one thing. His sisters hadn't been in the house. That had to mean they were somewhere else, hopefully safe. He couldn't bear to find out his sisters were dead, or worse, one of _them_. But his dad hadn't been there, so he hoped that he was taking good care of them.

He blew out a breath, wiping away the remaining tears that didn't want to leave his eyes. Tatsuki looked away, allowing the boy to picking up the broken pieces and try to put them back together. Just then, the rest of the group came bounding from a street corner, finding Tatsuki and Ichigo and waving at them with relief.

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime ran up to him, nearly smacking her forehead against his chin. She had wanted to ask if he was alright, but running like that had taken the wind out of her. Now she was huffing and puffing, trying to catch her breath as she was poised bent over with her hands on her knees.

Ichigo understood what she wanted to say. "I'm alright. Thanks for worrying." He said with a sincerity that made Orihime blush as she now found the floor rather interesting.

Mizuiro smiled at the reunion. He shifted his eyes when he caught something. A figure. He turned and saw a few of _them_ wandering the street. They were heading towards them, and he wasn't entirely sure if it was the fire that caught their attention or the group's talking. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he had to warn them before they were overrun. "Guys, I think it would be better if we moved."

Tatsuki was about to rebuke him, this little reunion helping Ichigo cope with what just happened when she too saw the idle bodies. Everyone else followed suit and turned their eyes to what Tatsuki was looking at it.

Ichigo's eyes took a sharp and deadly glint. His teeth were gritted and his teeth grinding almost painfully. He brought his hand over his head and to the hilt of Zangetsu. His blood boiled and his heart demanded vengeance. A hand stopped him as he turned to see Tatsuki shaking her head at him.

"Ichigo. Don't do it. We need to go somewhere safe." She pleaded him with her eyes. For a moment, it didn't seem like her words made it through to him. But they did and he relinquished his hold.

"We need to find someplace to rest." Ichigo said, reasoning to himself that this was the best solution for everyone as the fires in his heart settled down. But they would never really be put out, as he would soon find out.

"Oh! I know! My friend's apartment!" Matsumoto quipped up, her large bust jiggling as she did. Keigo gulped as he stared, but no one seemed to notice.

"Really? How far away is it?" Ichigo almost demanded. Matsumoto stared at the boy, but offered a kind smile.

"It's about a mile away ummm..." She looked at the street and where she was. "That way!" She pointed in a general direction.

"Good. We should get going as soon as possible. It's going to be nighttime and it will be harder for us to fight _them_." Mizuiro stated. The group soon found themselves hoofing it once more. However, they soon found out the toll that day had taken from them. Most of the group barely found themselves able to move. Keigo felt like his legs were made out of rubber. Mizuiro's lungs burned. Ichigo was still coping with his loss. Tatsuki was still reeling a little at all the things she'd seen. Orihime was injured. Everyone seemed to be having some sort of difficulty, even Matsumoto. Though hers were more easily remedied. She just needed to find a better bra so her chest wouldn't shake so much while running.

Yet, despite all this exhaustion, they made it safely and with relatively few of _them _getting int heir way. "This is it!" Matsumoto introduced with a 'ta-da!' and a pose. Everyone was amazed. The car that Matsumoto had shown them that looked like a tank was actually a Humvee. It had four monster tires that looked like it could take on any landscape and enough lamps in front to light up even the darkest abyss. Its grill looked like it could chew through any wall if given the need to.

"What kind of friend do you have." Tatsuki commented dryly. She wasn't aware of any places that sold Humvees.

Matsumoto giggled at the comment. Ichigo looked around along with Mizuiro, both coming to the same conclusion: The wall that surrounded the place would be able to keep _them_ out. Their attention was brought to a scratching noise that was slowly becoming louder. Then moans followed.

Ichigo's face turned grim, but at the same time he was suddenly looking forward to making them stay down permanently. He was still angry, and any sort of revenge he could get would suffice. He grabbed Zangetsu, the large blade being hefted easily. As he grabbed it, he felt a strange sense of remorse. He would be killing because he was angry. His mother wouldn't have liked that. She had taught him that Zangetsu was a not a weapon, but a tool for the warrior to find peace within themselves. He hadn't understood her words at the time, but as he loosened his grip on the handle and eyed the situation with a calmer mind, he felt like he beginning to. His mother was gone, and no amount of anger and destruction was going to bring her back. He bit the inside of his jaw, feeling the anger trying to push itself out.

_'You're doing well Ichigo.'_ Ichigo paused, turning around to find out where the voice had come from. He didn't have time to try and find it though as _they_ began creeping from every dark corner, seemingly en masse.

"Looks like we have to take care of the ones inside before we can be safe." Tatsuki slipped into a battle stance, ready to fight.

Ichigo once more placed his hand on the hilt of Zangetsu. This time, he would be fighting to survive and not for revenge. He hauled Zangetsu over his head, poising the blade towards his enemies. He blinked, feeling a strange power fill him. It must've been his imagination, because he could've sworn his muscles now felt better, almost rejuvenated. Whatever the case, he was ready to fight. With a battle cry, he lunged towards his first target. Those empty eyes focused towards him, but he was ready. He brought Zangetsu horizontally, effectively cutting the head of one that got too close. It rolled away before being stepped one by another that took its place. Ichigo was thankful that while persistent, they weren't highly coordinated since it fell when it stepped on the head of its comrade. He quickly ended its unlife with a stab to the head, the body squirming a couple of times before it stayed there unmoving. Ichigo felt like a wind was carrying him, letting him carve swaths of _them_ away with ease. Everything felt almost rehearsed, almost second nature to him. His feet followed every command his mind sent them; taking a step to the left, dodging, rolling, pushing. Zangetsu was an extension of his body as he twirled the blade, decapitating two more bodies in one swing. And as he jumped, he felt like he'd jumped higher than he had ever done so in his life. The slash came down, the grace of the blade slicing through the air with ease and then through the body. The two halves fell apart and Ichigo sported a triumphant grin. But soon his thoughts became more focused on killing them rather than surviving. There was another, darker piece that still managed to seep its way into his actions, into his movements. The longer Ichigo fought, the stronger its grip became. Yet, Ichigo began to feel he needed this part because it allowed him to fight them without exerting himself. Their moans echoed in his mind and whatever was inside of him, too responded with maniacal cackle.

Tatsuki paused to turn towards Ichigo, feeling rather impressed, and that's when it occurred to her that he had probably been practicing with that sword. That would make sense why he would disappear from school every now and then and why he was so good with the weapon now. He had been training. She smiled, feeling glad that Ichigo was able to express his sorrow so well, but it faltered as Ichigo looked almost fanatic when his blade sent blood and guts flying. Pieces were falling from his enemies, and _they_ couldn't do anything to stop it. Tatsuki didn't know if his newfound energy was a blessing, or a curse as instead of the clean slices he had been performing earlier; now they were more brutal and savage as the blade perforated the bodies, not necessarily kiling them right away. But it got the job down and soon they were finished, the tired bodies of the companions immediately seeking refuge inside the apartment.

Later on, once they made it inside and hunkered down, everyone collapsed on the rather luxurious couches that were inside Matsumoto's friend's apartment. "Wow, it's really nice in here." Keigo commented with wide-eyed fascination.

"Yep. I was asked to take care of this place while my friend was gone." She said. "I wonder what Yoruichi-san is up to?" She said to herself.

"Well, whatever the case, we have to thank this Yoriuchi-san for lending us this place. We needed it." Mizuiro stated with all the maturity of one many years older than he was.

"No problem." She said before getting up. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am so ready to take a bath. Would you girls care to join me?" Then she eyed Ichigo and the other boys and said with a grin, "You boys are welcome to join us if you'd like, I don't mind."

"W-W-Wha..." Tatsuki sputtered as Orihime turned crimson. "What are you thinking!"

Matsumoto feigned being scared as she raised her hand. "Just kidding! C'mon, we all need to relax right? I'm sure mixing boys and girls together would come up with _interesting_ results." And there was no subtlety in the implication of her words. No one was left wondering what she meant by that.

And while Tatsuki argued with the perverted woman, Orihime flickered her gaze over towards Ichigo. The boy was rubbing his temples, clearly annoyed by the conversation. But his face too was red with embarrassment as well. Orihime bit her lip before bowing her head as steam poured from her ears. Had she really just thought that it wouldn't really be too bad to share a bath with Ichigo? She shook her head violently, feeling like her heart was going to burst and that she was going to suffocate. What was she thinking?

"See? Even Orihime agrees with me!" Tatsuki pointed to the embarrassed girl who looked like she was about to spontaneously combust.

"Fine!" Matsumoto threw in the towel, giving up on the argument. "But we're still sharing a bath. We don't know how long the water will last, so we have to make it count."

Despite giving a solid reason, Tatsuki still didn't trust that devious glint in her eyes. She was planning something, and Tatsuki could smell it from a mile away.

"Fine." The tomboy conceded. "But no funny business alright?" She said with a serious look and a pointing finger.

Matsumoto smiled a secretive smile. "Whatever you say hon!"


End file.
